Blood of Olympus
by R.N. Islam
Summary: The seven demigods of prophecy must overcome their scars from Tartarus and the House and Hades and travel to Mt Olympus for the ultimate showdown against Gaea, while the Romans and Greeks fight at Camp Half Blood.
1. Annabeth

**So, this is my first fanfiction, and it's going to be my attempt to write Blood of Olympus! There will be intense battles, romance, and deaths. Yup. I know who will die already :) I hope you like it! Review, review!**

**UPDATE:** Chapter 3 added!

Chapter 1

Annabeth

Annabeth closed her eyes, trying to block out the overwhelming assault of memories in her brain. She tried to hold back nausea as she saw a river of fire, bubbles littered across a dark plain, and a set of double doors...

No. She tried to stop the memories. She thought of her boyfriend Percy and happy memories with him, but all she saw was a misty corpse. She thought about the warm hut where she had eaten drakon jerky, but she saw Damasen sacrificing himself for her instead. She remembered Bob and his cute kitten, but it was overpowered by another memory of Bob hoping to see stars before he died.

A tear trickled down her cheek. Annabeth and Percy had escaped Tartarus and closed the Doors of Death, but not without the sacrifices of Bob and Damasen. The Titan and giant had thrown themselves at the manifestation of Tartarus, the evil primordial deity of the abyss, and sacrificed themselves so that she and Percy could escape Tartarus into the mortal world.

Bob's last request was to tell the stars hello for him. If only he knew some of the twinkling jewels in the sky formed the constellation of his own granddaughter Zoë Nightshade, who had also sacrificed herself for them earlier...

She was snapped out of her reverie when someone entered the room and softly padded across the floor to her and touched her shoulder. She recoiled, having a flashback of the eight-legged monster Arachne, who had snuck up on her and nearly killed her if it weren't for Percy...

"Whoa, Annabeth," the person said, and she relaxed. Hearing his soothing low yet soft voice, she knew immediately it was Percy. She got up and hugged him, trembling. This was a person she could trust, someone she had gone from the highest throne at Olympus to the darkest corner of Tartarus with. She smelled his distinctive smell of seawater and smiled.

Percy held her face gently and looked at her. Annabeth stared back, taking in his the chiseled features of his face, his beautiful lips... and his sea green eyes. Unlike before, they pierced into her soul with a haunted look that suggested he had gone through many sorrows and struggles with her.

But she also saw a fragile hope wavering in them, that they could mend their broken hearts and piece them together, although there would be remaining scars that would never leave them. In this hope she saw plans for their future in Camp Jupiter.

And suddenly they were kissing. But it was not the intense passion they had shared after being separated from eight months. It was a gentle fragile kiss that revealed how close they were, they weren't just dating, they were soul mates. Both of them shared the same scars, and this made them closer.

Percy broke away whispered in her ear, a gesture that would've sent chills down her spine before. But now they were too close to have such tensions. "I've known you for five years, Annabeth. We'll get through this together." His voice hardened. "I promise I'll always stay with you. I promise on the River Styx. "

A rumble of thunder roared in the distance. Annabeth should have been comforted, but a line of the prophecy struck her: _An oath to keep with a final breath._

Percy nudged her, "Come on, Leo just called a meeting, and I came here to get you. " Annabeth followed him out of her room, feeling chilled by the parallel between Percy's oath and the prophecy.


	2. Leo

**Reviews please! Tell me if you like it! If you don't, stick around, because it's going to get a lot better. I have awesome stuff planned, but I have to get through the beginning. So review!**

**UPDATE: I added more Caleo to this chapter :) **

Chapter 2

Leo

Leo felt his eyes closing, heavy from tiredness. He snapped them open, watching out for monsters from the House of Hades.

The Argo II had not moved since the battle at the House of Hades. After fighting Clytius, and with Percy and Annabeth' condition, Leo had decided that they would stay put and rest one night before sailing for their ultimate confrontation at Mt Olympus.

Light peeked out from the corner of the sky, and Leo felt relieved. He had volunteered for the night watch, because he wanted to do something. Even though he had thrown the screwdriver that had opened the Doors, that had been payback for the price he had payed for Nemesis' fortune cookie: Percy and Annabeth's fall into Tartarus... he felt like he was not doing enough as part of the prophecy.

But he knew he would be playing a major role, especially since the prophecy stated: To storm or fire the world must fall. Leo was gifted with control over fire, the first since the 1600s, when a demigod had burned down London. His power seemed like a curse instead of a gift, especially since it seemed he was destined to burn down something worse than a city, but the entire world...

But what if he abandoned the quest and instead looked for Calypso? The possibility sent his heart racing. No man could return to Ogygia, unless they had the crystal and the astrolabe... Leo knew in his heart he could do it.

Leo though about Calypso every waking moment, and even dreamed about her. Once, he had seen a vision in his sleep of Calypso singing to the magic mirror, trying to find him. His plan had been firmly resolved in his mind. Someone needed to rescue Calypso, and if wasn't going to be Percy, it would be him.

As the sun rose, casting light on the ship, Leo knew he had to call a meeting. They needed somewhere to go to prepare before the final battle. Leo sighed and spoke, "Festus, watch the ship. I'm coming in a sec." The dragon head breathed steam in agreement.

Leo walked to the sleeping quarters and awakened Jason. Jason, who had been muttering about storms and world ending, awoke with a shudder, and opened his electric blue eyes. Leo informed him, "Jason, could you wake up Pipes? We're having a meeting."

Jason stretched and got up, smiling, "You're dead if you call her Pipes in front of her, remember?"

Leo shot back, "What about Beauty Queen?" That was one of his favorite names for her, as Piper was the daughter of the goddess of beauty, Aphrodite.

Jason laughed and shook his head, "That's even worse!"

Leo pondered slightly, but found no other name. However, enlightenment sparked in his head. "Hey, you and Piper's ship name should be Lightning McQueen!" Leo winked.

Jason replied, "Wow, that's great, but Leo, this isn't some teen romance novel like Twilight, we don't have 'ship names'."

You would be surprised, Jason, very surprised...

Jason went off to wake Piper while Leo woke up the others. Leo knocked on Frank' s room and found Hazel curled up with a dog.

Leo blushed slightly. That was no dog, but was Frank. Frank had the rare ability to shape-shift, which descended from his ancestor Periclymenus. But despite his changed form, Hazel and Frank still were curled up together...

Leo gently nudged Hazel and told her about the meeting. Before, Leo would have felt jealous about Hazel and Frank's relationship, but since his time at Ogygia that was over.

He padded over to Percy's room. Percy lay on his bed, his black silky hair framing his handsome face. Leo thought about how he felt left out from the handsome boys club; Percy, Jason, and even Frank, who had grown sturdier due to the blessing of Mars.

Percy was having a fitful sleep, tossing and turning and muttering, "No, Annabeth, I'm right here, please," with a tear trickling down his cheek. Leo turned to leave, not knowing what to do, but Percy then suddenly awakened, gasping for air.

Leo jumped back, "Oh, um, Percy, we have a meeting, could you awake Annabeth..." From whatever nightmares she's having now...

Percy nodded, and Leo saw a sheepish look on his face, for being caught having a nightmare.

Leo went back and retrieved a bagel and waited as the six slowly streamed in. He noticed the marked absence of Coach Hedge. Although his constantly violent nature got tiring at times, it was obvious the demigods missed him. The coach was off on a life or death mission with Nico and Reyna, shadow traveling to Camp Half Blood with the Athena Parthenos to end the demigod civil war.

Jason and Percy tried to sit in the same seat again, but instead of a confrontation, Percy wearily backed away to sit with Annabeth. Leo spoke up, "So, I called this meeting to make a plan for the next 17 days until the Feast of Spes." Gaea had planned her rise and destruction of all hope on the day demigods celebrated the Feast of Hope.

Frank frowned, using his military knowledge as son of Mars. "We can't just storm up to Mt. Olympus and fight them now... we need to prepare and figure out a good way to defeat the giants efficiently before Gaea can make her sacrifices."

Jason leaned on the table, "Isn't there some powerful weapon that actually can match the Giants?"

"If there is a weapon like that, " Annabeth broke in, "Gaea would know about it, and guard it with her forces."

Percy said excitedly, "I have an idea!"

Annabeth raised her eyebrow. "Oh really, Seaweed Brain? That's a first."

Leo smiled inwardly. It seemed they were slowly reverting to their playful romance instead of being fellow Tartarus visitors...

Percy complained, "Hey! I'm sure I made an awesome plan at least once..."

Annabeth grinned wickedly, "Fine. Tell me."

Percy smiled back, "I remember I told you of a certain plan when we moved to Camp Jupiter and had kids, Mrs. Jackson...tell me that isn't an awesome idea."

Annabeth looked stunned. Percy plowed on, blushing, "So, how about we infiltrate the home of one of Gaea's servants and listen for information and then when we hear the location we go and find it and then fight the giants!" He finished triumphantly.

Leo nodded, amused by Percy' earlier outburst. But he had a different plan in mind. Now that he had the crystal, maybe he could return to Calypso... but what if that jeopardized their plans to defeat Gaea? What if his decision was Calypso... or the world? Truly, it was _an oath to keep with a final breath._ Leo steeled himself and began to speak, wanting to tell them about Calypso. "Yes, that could work, but-"

Hazel suddenly froze, looking past Leo. "Um, Leo, turn around!"

Leo turned around, befuddled but relieved his chance to speak was gone. There was a chilly breeze, and the grasses swayed. He saw nothing, but he thought he could snatch a few faint words from the air: "... crystal... suitors..."

Hazel commanded, "Leo, get a Happy Meal, there's a ghost behind you."

When Leo squinted, he saw the faint outline of a spirit. He quickly retrieved a Happy Meal and put it on the table.

The spirit went straight through him towards the table, and Leo immediately felt chilled to the bone. The outline grew more defined, and a ghost shimmered into existence.

Annabeth gasped and said in what could either be pure shock or terror, "It's nobody!"

**Dun dun dun... who is the ghost? If you think you know, review and tell me! Review! **


	3. Nico

**I need at least some reviews... review please! Thank you Iloveaussly101 and lonewolf11 for reviewing and following my story!**

Chapter 3

Nico

Nico grabbed Reyna and Coach Hedge' hands. As soon as he did, he felt a tugging sensation and the world melted into darkness. The last thing he saw was Percy's face.

The dark was cold and slithered around them, smothering them as they traveled. He heard Coach Hedge screaming and attempting to punch the seething shadows in vain.

But suddenly, the shadows sent painful memories spiraling through his consciousness.

_...a handsome young man with sea green eyes promises his sister will be safe, but betrays him... _

_...skeletons drop down through a crevice in the floor of the camp pavillion... _

_...intense jealousy pounds at his heart as he stares at a blonde gray-eyed girl... _

The memories became darker, more foul...

_... descending into the abyss and watching it throb and pulse as if it were alive... _

_... hunched in a jar, confined by giant twins with only five pomegranate seeds... _

_... the sneering face of Cupid as he ripped his heart apart and showed it to Jason... _

The memories were not even his anymore.

_The voice pulsed through the mountain, sending tremors down each giants' spine. "Where is Clytius?" _

_Braided with gems in his thick hair, one giant reports, "The demigods and Hecate defeated him and sealed the Doors." _

_"Hecate," the deity hisses, "That meddling fool, always switching sides. Clytius is surely reforming as we speak?" _

_Another giant bows, "Yes, Gaea, we will be ready on the day of Spes for your rise. The demigods are approaching, hoping to strike us all down." He throws his head back and laughs. "They do not know what they face. Their sacrifice will be all that is needed for your rise."_

_Gaea's matronly voice swirls around her servants. "What of the Athena Parthenos?"_

_"The cursed girl managed to overpower Arachne. The Hades boy, the praetor girl, and the stupid satyr are taking the statue to the Greek camp."_

_"Curse Arachne. We are infinitely times more powerful than her. The Parthenos will not make it to the camp. I will send some... surprises... their way. And when the demigods arrive here, kill all but two. They will be used for the final sacrifice, and I will rise and destroy cursed civilization as we know it! "_

_Gaea laughed, and an earthquake shook the world, all the way to..._

... Venice, Italy. Nico awoke with a gasp, drowning in memories of hate, fear, and envy. Yellow spots danced across his vision, and he herd a faint ringing in his ears. As it started to fade, he heard faint snippets of conversation, before everything slipped away again.

"...doesn't usually react like this..."

"...give him ambrosia..."

"...side effect of shadow traveling..."

After what seemed like an eternity, the haze cleared up and he opened his eyes.

"Nico!" Reyna cried, and immediately stuffed ambrosia in his face.

Nico groaned. At least Coach Hedge hadn't force fed him. That would have been... rather violent. He tried to get up and rasped, "What happened?"

Reyna didn't get to answer, as Coach Hedge barreled towards him and yelled, "You woke up, kid!" The coach tried to modulate the happiness in his voice but failed.

Reyna glared at him and said, "We got here, but you went in some sort of coma for a day. We had to drag you to the nearest help..." She glanced at him with a worried expression.

Nico sighed, "Let me guess, we're at la Casa Negra."

Reyna said, "Ooh, you know Italian?"

Nico frowned, realizing no one in Camp Jupiter knew when he was born. He said carefully, "I was born in the twentieth century in Italy and after Zeus killed my mother, me and my sister lived at the Lotus Hotel..."

The praetor flinched at this declaration of events. She had a million questions, but she simply said "Oh. Anyways Triptolemus is being really irritable, we have to figure out your condition and then head out."

Nico asked, "Where's Athena?"

Reyna smiled, "Coach lugged it into the garage next to that snake chariot." The coach is small but packs a punch, Nico realized. It wasn't easy to carry a 40 ton gold statue...

"OK, let's find Triptolemus, " Nico began. When he got up, he realized they were in the garage. The Athena Parthenos was slayed out on the floor next to the chariot. The snakes were watching him intently. He shivered.

He turned to find Coach and gasped when he saw a chunk of gold in his hand, and a hole at the side of Athena's hair. "Coach! Why are you eating Athena?"

Hedge blushed, dropped the chunk and stepped away from it. "What are you talking about, kid?" he asked innocently.

Reyna was about to chastise him, but Nico broke in, "Not everything is for eating! Luckily that was part of her hair, and it just looks like she just has shorter hair, and not like a chunk of her face fell off."

Reyna' eyes widened and she choked on her laughter.

Nico remembered his dream, and his high spirits were dampened. He told Reyna and Coach about his dream, and they looked a little put off too. With that note, the three trumped across the garden to the house. Before they even knocked, the door swung open. Nico gulped. The last time he'd been here, Triptolemus had transformed him into corn, and having dreams about being popcorn was definitely not fun.

Triptolemus was waiting for them and snapped, "Come in, make it quick, I don't want to displease my master."

Nico bowed respectfully, although he felt anything but respect for Triptolemus. "My lord, after we sealed the Doors of Death, the seven demigods traveled to Olympus to fight Gaea while we headed West to place the Athena Parthenos and end the civil war. However, while shadow traveling I fell into a coma. As the nearest god here, we ask that you diagnose my condition and cure me if you can."

If Triptolemus could reach his anger limit, this was it. Nico heard him muttering, "It won't hurt to see what problem he has, my master will not care, I hope."

"Fine, but there will be a price-"

The edge of Nico's Stygian ice sword was on Triptolemus' throat on an instant, and Coach raised his bat threateningly. Nico growled, "There will be no price. Hecate and the Olympians support us, and they will easily strike you down."

Triptolemus laughed, "The Olympians are off struggling with their dual identities. They have no time to help, whereas Gaea has raised an enormous army."

"Whose side are you on?" Nico snapped angrily.

The farming god opened his mouth and closed it. He said, "Fine, I'll help you. But I'll need to probe your mind."

Nico stepped back and looked at Reyna and Coach Hedge. "No way!"

The god had had enough. "Fine, then leave!"

Nico glowed at him and sat down on the chair in defeat. Trip leaned forward excitedly. Suddenly, Nico felt a little tickle in his mind. It grew more and more irritating, until Nico could not ignore it. Suddenly the tickle became painful, and Nico had an intense flashback of Tartarus. "Aaah!" he cried, falling to the floor.

Reyna stepped forward, gladius in hand. "What are you doing to Nico?"

Trip ignored the question. "Has Nico been to Tartarus?"

When they nodded yes, Trip looked grim. He grimaced, "Nico has an acute fatal demigod version of PTSD."

Coach yelled, "He doesn't have post traumatic stress disorder!"

"You are correct, Gleeson," the farming god nodded and turned to Nico's body on the floor. "He doesn't have post traumatic stress disorder. What he has is extremely worse and infinitely more dangerous: post Tartarus stress disorder."

** So many cliffhangers! Remember, please review! **


	4. Hazel

**I would really like more reviews! To those viewing this, just leave a comment at the bottom! Also, spread the word about this: I'm actually going to write all the way to the end! So, reviews please! ****Thank you Iloveaussly101 and lonewolf11 for reviewing and following my story!**

Chapter 4

Hazel

When a chill had seized her body, Hazel knew something was up. Although she didn't have the powers over the dead like her brother, as a child of Pluto, Hazel could vaguely sense ghosts. And now she knew one was behind Leo.

She ordered Leo to get a Happy Meal, and watched as the ghost materialized into existence. Before her shimmered the outline of a Greek man with a scraggly gray beard but a calculating look in his eyes.

Annabeth' eyes bugged out of her head. She scrambled to her feet and exclaimed, "It's nobody!"

Hazel knew Annabeth was a smart girl. What had gone into her? Percy spoke her thoughts out loud, " Um, I see somebody..."

Annabeth smiled, "Ah, you do see somebody, somebody named Nobody with a capital N." When nobody got it, she said frustratedly, "This is the ghost of the most clever man in ancient greece, a man who sailed the Sea of Monsters for years and used the name Nobody to get out of danger, Odysseus!"

Everything clicked into place. The Romans knew him as Ulysses, but he was still the same man who had sailed the Sea of Monsters trying to return home to Ithaca after the Trojan War. Hazel looked at the man in new found awe.

But Odysseus seemed to be distracted by something else. He stared at the ship's controller, the astrolabe embedded with a crystal, and moaned, "Noo, I could have gotten the crystal but I didn't!" He looked sharply at Leo. "Please leave her a message, that I would've came back for her if I knew."

Leo gulped and nodded, looking stricken.

Odysseus continued muttering, "Everything's going wrong now. Gaea has raised the suitors, and they have overtaken Ithaca."

Annabeth looked shocked. "Those murderous scumbags!" When everyone stared at her blankly, she continued. "While Odysseus was lost in the Sea of Monsters, many suitors tried to court his wife Penelope and overtook his palace at Ithaca. Penelope was faithful so she denied all of them, hoping Odysseus would return. And years later, he did! Athena disguised Odysseus as a beggar and he infiltrated the suitors' ranks. It was a bloodbath, Odysseus killed them all."

Odysseus nodded, "Yes, are you a daughter of Athena? You seem very clever." Annabeth nearly fainted at this compliment.

He continued, "When I found out about the revival of the suitors, I had the mind to go and kill them myself, but unfortunately I cannot. I ask you a favor, could you help me in getting rid of them? I want to come too, for Penelope's spirit is at Ithaca as well."

The demigods considered this. Wasn't this a detour? Annabeth exclaimed at her hero, "Of course!" She noticed everyone's looks and she rushed on, "We also have our own mission. We want to infiltrate one of Gaea's minion's hideout and find out information about how to defeat her."

"The suitors _are_ Gaea's minions now, they would know something," the Greek hero acknowledged. "How about we work together - you find out information, I get my revenge." His eyes became as hard and unrelenting as diamonds, and Hazel felt chilled. Grudges were usually the flaws of children of Pluto._  
_

"I volunteer!" Annabeth spoke up as she stood and raised her hand. Hazel looked at Percy. As it turned out, she wasn't the only one looking at him. He sensed the sea of eyes on him and raised his hands in defense. "Hey, I don't go _everywhere_ with her! Plus, I'm still tired."

Jason stood up with the fierce composure of a Roman soldier. "I will go!" Sure enough, Piper followed him in a heartbeat.

Odysseus proclaimed, "Three! The holy number for any Greek quest!" He led Annabeth, Jason, and Piper, most likely to brief their mission.

The four people left at the table sat quietly. Leo got up and went to the engine room. And just like she had sensed the ghost, she sensed the melancholy radiating from him. After they found Leo at Malta, he was subtly different; he stopped giving her interested looks and had retreated almost every day to brood in the engine room with Buford.

In case you didn't know, Buford was a walking table.

Hazel gave fleeting goodbye to Frank and headed after Leo. She found him fiddling with his astrolabe angrily, almost crushing it with his hands. Leo didn't turn around, but said quietly, "Hey."

Hazel sat down next to him, and watched metal contraptions extend and contract out of the astrolabe and a crystal shining like a diamond in the center. Leo made no further acknowledgement to her, until he said suddenly, "I'm so mad at Percy."

His quiet anger was worse than any raging outburst he could ever had made. Hazel commented back in the same volume, "It's something about Calypso, isn't it." It wasn't a question.

"She was heartbroken," Leo whispered dejectedly. "And you know who broke her heart? Percy." Hazel didn't know what to say, but Leo continued. "Percy promised her she would be freed from Ogygia. And it never happened."

Hazel knew that wasn't the whole story. When he was silent, Hazel replied, "Why don't you try to free her yourself?"

Leo looked up at her and stopped playing with the astrolabe. "That's what I plan to do. She hated me at first. The raft wouldn't come. But we tried to make our own raft. And she didn't hate me as much when she worked with me for a while. And the raft came. She kissed me before I left." The sorrow was swapped over with anger. "I promised I would come back for her. I swore on the River Styx I wouldn't leave her like Percy did!"

Hazel put her hand on top of his. But it didn't mean anything except that she was there for him as a friend. Leo looked up at her. "You know why I told you this? Because I feel like I can trust you. You told me about your feelings for Sammy. You know, I miss her a lot, Hazel," he said, the mischievous look in his eyes gone.

Leo smiled, "Telling you this just made me feel a lot better. I'm not going to stop being mad at Percy, but I'll tell him when the time comes. Now I have to go get Calypso. I swore on the River Styx I would."

Hazel hugged him, and when they stepped out of their embrace, Leo said softly, "Thank you, Hazel." and watched her leave the engine room.


	5. Jason

**Thank you asif989 for following this story! Could you please review and tell me what you think about this story? This goes for everybody! Tell me what you think! I realize my chapters are pretty short...****Thank you Iloveaussly101 and lonewolf11 for reviewing and following my story, too! **

Chapter 5

Jason

Jason did not have a happy sleep. After slumping on his bed and promptly falling asleep after the battle at the House of Hades, he had hoped he would get a break. As expected, Gaea wouldn't give him one.

He dreamed he was at Camp Half Blood. The camp was preparing for war, but they were obviously weaker. Clarisse, wearing full body armor, shouted, "Ares cabin, defend the borders! Make sure no one touches Thalia' tree!" The children of Ares, wearing helmets with red plumes, scurried to positions. Next to them, the children of Hephaestus built Greek fire catapults to lob at the Romans. Satyrs and Demeter cabin members led by Grover played their pipes and raised massive thorns and vines all around the camp. Jason, to his horror, saw none other than Mellie, the air spirit, with the bulging belly of pregnancy, cowering in the mess hall with Chiron.

The perspective shifted west, showing the Romans marching through Queens, approaching Long Island. Octavian was convincing the Romans that the enemy were the _graecus_. He shouted, "Reyna and Jason are not to be trusted! They sold us out to a bunch of Greeks, who came in a warship and fired on New Rome! We will fight back the enemy, the _graecus__! _" Jason felt sick to the stomach, watching the Romans roar in approval. Unless the Athena Parthenos came, Octavian would create carnage in Camp Half Blood.

Next to Octavian stood Dakota, mouth still stained red from Kool-aid. He stared directly at Jason and said in the familiar ancient voice of Gaea: "_Do you see what fighting me has done? The Romans, your only friends, are working against you. The Greeks, whom you decided to side with, will be slaughtered. There is no safe place, Jason. Do you not see your role? Together we will destroy civilization. To storm or fire the world must fall, and you are the storm." _As Dakota mouthed the evil goddess, Jason shuddered, imagining the red stains on his mouth to be blood...

Just when Jason couldn't handle it anymore, he heard Leo. He shuddered and opened his eyes, and smiled, finding his favorite curly-haired friend.

Not soon after, Jason was unsurprised that there was already a Quest to go on. The ghost of Ulysses had appeared, warning of the reformation of the suitors at Ithaca. Annabeth, in clear air of the man, had volunteered instantly. Wanting to prove Gaea wrong, that he would help, not betray his friends, he raised his hands as well. Piper scrambled to her feet after him.

Ulysses led the trio to one of the bedrooms and clapped his hands together, though his hands went through each other. He asked, "How are you going to sneak in and pretend you belong at Ithaca? A disguise, right?"

Annabeth nodded thoughtfully, "When you returned to Ithaca, you posed as a beggar for a while."

Ulysses looked at her. "It seems like you've read the Odyssey. Nice book, but what nobody knows is that I was Homer. Nobody but Nobody, I mean," he winked.

Annabeth was flabbergasted. She opened her mouth andclosed it again, trying to speak but unable to. She looked like a fish gasping for air. Jason wanted to snicker, but realized he didn't want to be on the receiving end of her wrath, and so wisely kept his mouth shut.

Looking at her expression, Ulysses laughed heartily. "Girl, I was just kidding!" Annabeth turned red and looked angry, her gray eyes stormy and narrowed at him.

The Greek hero suddenly studied her carefully, "I can practically see Athena in your eyes. She always had the same stormy look in her eyes." He shook his head mournfully and pressed on, changing the topic. "While this young man will be disguised as a beggar, you two will be the beautiful white-robed servants and will hold amphoras carrying your weapons."

Jason groaned. Great. He had to become old, wrinkly, and smelly but the girls could be as pretty as ever in white dresses. Piper smirked and kissed him, "Don't worry, I'll still be beautiful as ever."

He muttered to himself, "That wasn't my concern." Ulysses watched this exchange with fascination. Of course, he had lived in ancient Greece, and was unused to modern antics.

Red strobe let gets suddenly pulsed around them, and a high-pitched wail reverberated across the room. Piper grabbed his arm, "We're being attacked."

Jason bounded up the stairs two steps at a time, straining his muscles, in a heartbeat, his _gladius_ ready at his hand. As he climbed the last step, the ship titled to the east, and Jason staggered to the other direction.

He found Percy, Leo, and Hazel already on board, staring in horror at the sea monster clinging on to the side of the ship. The monster erupted out of the water and Jason stepped back, unable to comprehend what he saw. It was a shade of sickly green, and spikes protruded from the scales on its body across its serpentine form towards the head, on which rested two glaring yellow eyes and a mouth full of long vampiric teeth dripping with foam, hungry for its prey.

Odysseus glided up the stairs behind him and breathed in, "Ketos!"

Ketos... where was that name from? As he watched Percy uncapped his sword Riptide, the answer came. Ketos was a sea monster from the myth of Perseus. After defeating Medusa, he had found a girl, Andromeda, tied up by her parents as a sacrifice to Ketos. Perseus had killed Ketos and taken Andromeda.

What kind of parent left their kids to a monster? Suddenly he thought about his own mother. She had abandoned him at age two to Lupa at the Wolf House as an appeasement to Hera. Even his own name was for Hera, for Jason was the only hero she liked. Maybe his parents were no better than Andromeda's.

Jason shook his head. No time for thoughts like that now. He jumped as Ketos chomped and bit away the part of the ship he had been standing on only a moment earlier.

"Jason!" Piper cried. He saw her with her dagger, hair braided with an eagle, looking worried at him. He forced a smile.

Percy swung his sword, but only managed to cut off one of the spikes. Frank, who had burst onto the deck, raised his bow and arrow and attempted to shoot the eye, but Ketos moved too quickly and it only bounced off its scary hide.

Frank's idea was right. If it's scales were impenetrable, it's weakest spots were it's mouth and eyes. Jason had a sudden idea. Maybe... but it would have to be executed perfectly.

When Ketos snapped his head at the ship again, Jason took his chance. He felt his feet slap the deck, heard the shout ripped out of his throat, and jumped. His legs sprung up and everything swung out of focus. He saw a flash of green and held on to it.

Jason realized it was a scale of Ketos. The monster trashed violently, trying to make him get off, but he held on for dear life, hanging perilously off the edge. Jason gulped. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

He heard the shouts from the ship, Piper's wail, and grimaced, holding on harder until his knuckles were pale. He started to climb up the long winding body of the sea monster, gripping the scales until he came near the head. Jason held back a wave of nausea as he saw the eyes focus on him and a screech erupt from its mouth.

Steeling himself, he stabbed his sword at the eye. The monster shrieked, a long piercing wail, and fell of the ship, dragging Jason with him. He grabbed the sword, now slimy with monster dust, and scrambled to get off, but it was too late.

The monster's body dragged him down into the water, which he hit with a sickening whoosh. The world turned dark and murky, and he slipped into the edges of unconsciousness.


End file.
